Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-07-30
The Comparative Naval Strength Of the
Eur6neau pov-ar-a

european EOM6fla
The minor naval powers are falling
more or less completely out Of the list
Of naval competition. Spain and POr-
tugal have ceased to be, and Greece
has not become, Of any naval import
ance, Spain alone making some small
effort TO keep respectable, but even
that effort is chiefly expanding itself
as that Of the United States govern
ment is about to eXpend itself, blythe
bye-in the production of very fast
vessels, which may be useful in prey
ing upon commerce, but which a real
war ship would dispose Of with a sin
gle round Of her battery fire.. They
will be efficient in running away, no
doubt, but when danger rises: but
running away" was not the method
by which the United States won naval
distinction, nor that by which Spain
once became great, and Greece i'm
mortal. The naval policy Of Germany
is defensive; she is almost without pre-
tentiOns upon the open sea. Turkey
is slowly but surely succumbing to
Russia, and in the near future the Rus
sian Black Sea fleet viii hold unques-
toned mastery over Turkey. Italy has
a naval role of her own to play in Eu-
rope, and on the whole is playing it
well. Austria would do well to hest
tate in her present naval condition be-
fore again exposing herself to the
swift and destructive Onslaughts which
the tremendously armed and excess
sively fast italian ships could make
upon her. France is a really great
naval power, and there are cireum-
stances which would make anaVal con-
hict between her and England one of
the most uncertain in the history of
the world. The French have very
largely abandoned the protection of
their guns by armOr; We, most unhap-
PLY, have still more largely abandoned
the protection Of our ships, and it re-
mains to be seen which has been the
most foolish. In such a conflict the
French would have this advantage
over England-the overthrow Of their
guns, or the destruction Of their gun
ners at them, would not prevent their
ships themselves from Withdrawing
from action and repairing their in
juries. What would become of our
''Ajaxes, - ''AgdmemnOns," our "COi-
hngWOOds" and "BenbOWs' both these
latter with guns as much exposed as
the French, by-the-bye), when their
long fragile ends had been smashed
and Water-lOgged, and their high speed
consequently gone, IS a question which
was, there is, there ever Will be, but
one sound policy for a nation that de-
sires to command the seas, and can af-
ford to do so, and that is to reject all
doubtful fads, all dangerous fancies,
and to insure without ceasing- pro-
nOunced superiority lIi eUery kHOLCH and
measurable element OF national pOLCsr.
New inventions viii and must be made;
new sources of power, new means of
attack, Will and must be discovered;
but these things take time and money
and skill to develop, and that power is
the greatest and safest which from
time to time and always prefers the
thing which must succeed to that
which may, and which others fear viii,
fail in the hour of trial. One hope /,
the present writer, have, and it is that
the terrible development Of the weap-
Ons of warrior terrible it is with all
its shortcomings the enormously
increasing cost alike Of single actions
and of conflicts between squadrOns
and fleets, viii tend to further, and to
greatly further, those influences which
are happily operating in favor Of peace
and goodwill among men.-Sir Ed
card j. Reed. IN HarDer'S 4fddaziJla-
The Agent OF the German Baptist Pub.
LEGATION Society, Cleveland, o., Mr.. II
Schultz writes: ave keep st. Jacobs
Oil on hand aud consider it most valu-
able in case OF burns, scalds, &c" Use
praorf5iues 70 7iraokiOps